1997

CARECEN kicks off a capital campaign to raise an additional $1.5 million by the year 2000 to support the design and renovation of the community center.

CARECEN’s legal department works with the Clinton administration to draft the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) in order to regain the rights lost under the IIRAIRA. CARECEN reactivates the ABC committee of class members, relatives and friends to work for permanent residency status.

A partial victory is won when Congress passes NACARA, granting permanent residency to Nicaraguans and Cubans and giving limited rights to seek suspension of deportation to Salvadorans and Guatemalans.

CARECEN supports the SCVLA pilot project which places vendors in semi-permanent stalls at three MTA plazas.

The After School and Family Integration program is initiated in cooperation with Berendo Middle School as part of the LA Bridges program.

CARECEN is part of an election observers’ delegation to El Salvador to ensure fair and fraud-free elections. The FMLN wins a large percentage of local elections including 52 major municipalities and 27 out of 84 seats in the legislative assembly.